When the Ochulo's asked me to help them with their baby Angel's christening and dedication, I didn't know their story. So I got the chance to see people rejoicing with them last Sunday, I mean rejoicing from the bottom of there heart. I'm sharing this story that a friend sent to me, and also some of my favorite pics

Rejoicing with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15) seems like it should be one of the “easy” commands of the Bible. Certainly, the call to rejoice should be a delightful one. Few things are more desirable than a joyful life. Joy lifts our hearts, lightens our spirits, and gives us strength and hope. Sharing in each other’s joys—as well as each other’s tears (see the second half of the verse)—binds us together in love. All of this is very good. But it is not, I think, easy. Sometimes the command to participate in another person’s joy can feel more like a burden than an invitation to the fellowship of mutual celebration.How is the woman who longs for a baby, but whose arms are empty, to rejoice when yet another friend shares the joyful news of her pregnancy? How is the man who has been looking for a job for eighteen months to delight in God’s provision of work to the young woman who has recently graduated from college? How can the person who struggles to make ends meet on minimum wage celebrate with those whose wages allow them security and the freedom to spend beyond their basic needs? How can the man whose wife has walked away from their marriage attend his best friend’s wedding and dance with a light heart? There are a thousand ways to ask this question—one of which I expect will capture your own struggle to rejoice with those who rejoice.This verse echoes in my mind every time I hear the news of someone receiving the good gifts of marriage, children, and a place to call home — things for which I have been waiting for (at least it seems to me) a very long time. It reverberates in my soul when I spend an afternoon surrounded by friends’ families and go home alone. I rejoice with those who rejoice, but the joy is often tinged with grief, the two emotional strands so entangled that pulling on one thread would unweave my whole story. I can only make sense of my life by saying that joy and grief are wound together to the point where they almost seem to be one. But perhaps that is true of everyone’s story. I suspect that we all have moments in our lives when we need a friend to weep with us, even as we rejoice with her.In learning how to rejoice with others who are blessed with the joys my heart most desires, I have found a few practices to be helpful. The first is to remember that God’s love and goodness are wider, deeper, and higher—and sometimes widely different—than I can imagine. God expresses love for me every day. When I cease to define God’s goodness simply in terms of the gifts I most desire, I see the gifts God most wants to give.Noticing these loving gifts is my second practice. Several months ago, I started keeping a “thankfulness log.” At the end of each day, I jot down a few brief notes about the good things in that day. Paying attention to God’s goodness to me helps me to rejoice more freely in God’s goodness everywhere I see it, including in the lives of others.Third, I am careful (if not always successful) to nip envy in the bud. Envy robs joy more quickly than just about any other thing, and insidiously, it sneaks in. It is good to name it, which draws out its venom and lessens its power to poison joy.Fourth, I let myself mourn. It can be painful to attend a friend’s wedding when it seems unlikely that you will ever plan your own, or to hold a baby when you struggle with infertility, or to celebrate any number of joys when that particular space is empty in your heart. Express the grief: write it, draw it, cry it out. And talk to those who love you. They may be as blessed to share your journey of weeping as you are to share in their joys. Don’t hold back from them the gift of being bound in love to you and your story as it really is.Finally, I have found that the best solution to the struggles in my life is to keep looking at Jesus, who understands both joy and sorrow and has lived them as deeply as any human being. He knows how they are woven together. For the joy of all that God would redeem through his suffering, Jesus endured the sorrows of rejection and the pain of the cross. It is his love that gives us strength both to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep.Sara Scheunemann

I was so honored when Silvia contacted me to help her plan her 40th birthday party in her home. This was a backyard party complete with catering, a DJ, and a barbecue. The atmosphere was complimented with good food and the weather was epic, perfectly timed for this special event.

The birthday party was stylish and chic. All her family and friends were there. As her husband was making his speech with tears in his eyes, I looked around in gratitude, and realized that this was going to be a gorgeous party to celebrate such a well loved and genuine woman. It felt so good to be a part of the simple things of life. ​ ​Here is a selection of my favorite party photos from Silvia's 40th birthday party event.

Over 150 people came together on Saturday March 25, 2017 to celebrate Destiny Foundation's Inaugural fundraising Event. Everyone enjoyed the auction, presented by Mr. Major Attaway bidding on over 40 items. "What I enjoyed best about the fundraiser was that it not only raised funds for a wonderful and caring organization. It also provided a forum to meet with others who are committed to helping homeless families."

Cedric Ogbuehi, who plays with the Cincinnati Bengals, supported Destiny Foundation with the first donation of $20,000. This event raised over enough money to build one house for the widow profiled in the video that was shown. I call that a success! Thank you to everyone who helped out with the event, attended the event, and supported Destiny Foundation. Kudos!

It is easy to toss such a word around casually,LOVE, It’s a short word, Just four lettersLOVE, it is easy to toss such a word around casually,I love Ice cream,I love music, I think I’m in loveBut true love, Real, lasting love, Is something very differentIn fact the bible teaches us that…Love is kind, Love is humble, Love honors othersLove is not easily angered, Love offers forgivenessLove rejoices with the truth, Love always protectsLove always trusts, Love always hopesLove always perseveres, So, how do you live out this kind of love?Love is putting your spouse before yourselfLove is …. Being patient and kind with your childrenLove is being respectful to your parentsLove is giving money to the needyLove is sharing your faith with your neighborsLove is having patience with that mean store clerk,Love is working hard to heal broken relationshipsLove is spending a week doing mission work, Love is forgiving that guy at work like Jesus forgave youOur purpose in life is to experience God’s love, And to share his love with the worldTODAY, and every day of the year, Choose Love, Jesus didWhoever does not love, does not know GodBecause God is love1 John 4:8

John Armah is an Award-winning Entrepreneur and Consultant. Ranked as the 27th Most Influential Ghanaian by ETV Ghana (2012), Winner 2012 Ideas Award by Legacy and Legacy (2012), Named as part of 20 under 40 Most Influential Business Leaders in Ghana by award-winning Business World Magazine (2015).John Armah is an Award-winning Entrepreneur and Consultant. Ranked as the 27th Most Influential Ghanaian by ETV Ghana (2012), Winner 2012 Ideas Award by Legacy and Legacy (2012), Named as part of 20 under 40 Most Influential Business Leaders in Ghana by award-winning Business World Magazine (2015). Recipient of the Global Young CEO’s Award for Entrepreneurship Development in Africa at the Young CEO’s Business Summit (2015), National Union of Ghana Students Vice Chancellor Young Achievers Award for Entrepreneurship Development (2015), JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award (2015), 12th Most Influential Young Ghanaian (2015) He has over 6 years of Experience in Business Development, Business Strategy and Consultancy in Entrepreneurship Development.

Mogau Seshoene (27) was born and raised in Turfloop Mankweng township in Limpopo. She is the eldest daughter of a pastor and a teacher. “ I had a really great upbringing, with the loving family in a really quaint neighbourhood,” says Seshoene.

She is the founder and chief executive of The Lazy Makoti, which was formed after she gave cooking lessons to a friend who was struggling to learn to produce South African dishes. That friend later recommended her services to a few other people, so “I decided to actually register the business and turn the idea into my livelihood”.

By then she was working fulltime in the finance sector and had to make a decision that would change her life forever. She finally quit her job and began to channel all her energies towards breathing life into her business. “I’m very passionate about women empowerment and entrepreneurship. And I enjoy being creative in the kitchen,” she says.

At present, The Lazy Makoti do house calls and cooking lessons for small groups, as well as selling branded kitchen accessories through pop-up stores and online. The charismatic Seshoene is pregnant with ideas. She plans to expand the merchandise line and find premises for her business so her growing clientele can easily excess her services. She’s also working on a national cookbook. Her hard work has won her several awards: The Lean Jump Business Incubation powered by SABKickStart, Edge Growth and The Hook Up Dinner.​The meticulous Seshoene is not oblivious of the challenges that start-up businesses are faced with. Capital flow, unexpected expenditure and competing with major retailers can be detrimental. When asked how government can assist, she responds: “I think government can start by really looking at the structure of its business funding institutions. I feel it’s almost impossible to access funding through them, speaking from my own experience anyway. There should also be more support to offer a bridge between being a small to becoming a medium enterprise”.

I had an opportunity to hang out with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the America last Saturday at their end of year Christmas party. The event was in Colleyville, Texas and most people had to drive an hour in the rain to get there. Mhhhhhhhhhmm...That's what most of us do every weekend. They had some really tasty appetizers, the food: Salmon and Yam porridge, "just what the doctor ordered." I don't know what I expected, but it was nice, really nice, and super festive.

A special thank you to Dr. Philo Osimiri, the chair of the Organization. These are special doctors, and I appreciate them. They help my community (the Igbo Community Association of Nigeria DFW) every year with our healthfair, free of charge.

ANPA provides a platform for medical, scientific, political and social dialogue, on issues of health within North America, the Caribbean, and Africa, pertinent to persons of descent from Nigeria or the Nigerian Diaspora.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Our faith walk is a long journey - one with many turns, hills, and unexplored territory. Last weekend, I was invited by Ray and Val Amaechi to Light and Life International Church. I was thrilled to be able to watch them take the next step in their lives when they were ordained as Pastor and Minister.

The ceremony began at 1:45PM with a procession by the ministers, the pastors and the Bishops. There were several pastors attending the ordination service. During the ordination, Bishop Jude Asonibe invited the other pastors attending the service to come up and lay hands on the newly ordained Pastors and Ministers and bless them. That was a powerful experience! The service was filled with the Holy Spirit – both literally and symbolically. I have no idea how long that lasted because I was practically caught up into the heavenlies. I was very blessed.

For those who were not able to witness the ordination, I was not able to videotape the ceremony, but you can view the pictures below.

I did 3.5k miles last Saturday. Well, to some people it might be nothing, but to me, it was a great deal. First, I did not prepare my mind for it. I was just going to go there, take some pictures and support, but something inside me said, "why don't you do it?" And I did. It was probably my longest walk, but it was worth it. It was also for a good cause.

September is Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. A disease I gave little thought to until last Saturday, when I listened to the speech by the president of Prosper Foundation for Sickle Cell (Lady Jane Ekwonye)Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited disease that affects our hemoglobin. Inherited means it is passed from mothers and fathers to their children. She talked about the pain the son went through living with sickle cell until he had a bone marrow transplant. Prosper also described the pain he went through as unbearable.

If you are African or African American getting screened to know your sickle cell status is extremely important at child-bearing age because SCD and SCT can be passed down to children through their parents’ genes. Knowing if you have sickle cell trait is important because you could have a baby with SCD if your partner also has SCD, SCT or another abnormal hemoglobin gene (like hemoglobin C or Beta-thalassemia). All newborns should be screened for sickle cell, even if they look healthy. If left undetected and untreated, SCD can lead to severe health problems and even death, early in childhood.

It's been a long time since I made my last post on "My weekend Update." I've been quite busy with my book writing and my community activities but now I'm back and doing events again. Thanks to all the visitors who are still visiting "My Weekend Update," even though I have not updated this for a long time. I think it’s about time to start posting some new stuff here.

This traditional wedding was last Friday at Garland Convention & Reception Center in Garland, Texas. It was Adaku and Quinton's fascinating traditional marriage. The couple looked absolutely beautiful, so — so — real and happy. Enjoy the pictures!